Plans to transfer a Rye leisure centre to a community group could soon become reality, if changes get the go ahead from council leaders next week.
On Monday, December 9, Rother District Council’s cabinet is due to decide whether to move ahead with plans to transfer the management of Rye Sports Centre to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) known as Rye Recreation and Well-Being CIO.
As part of the plans, cabinet members are being asked to agree to an early exit of the authority’s contract with the sports centre’s current operator Freedom Leisure — a not-for-profit organisation which runs more than 100 leisure, cultural and entertainment venues across the UK.
In a report to cabinet, council officers said it was no longer viable for Freedom Leisure to operate Rye Sports Centre under the current contractual arrangements as a result of the financial pressures which saw the centre’s indoor pool closed for close to a year in November, 2022.
The proposed transfer has the support of a join-working group formed of members from Rother District Council, Rye Town Council and East Sussex County Council, which owns the sports centre building.
Both the town council and county council have previously agreed to their parts of the proposals. Officers have advised that Rother District Council should follow suit – a recommendation backed by Cllr Hazel Timpe, the authority’s cabinet member for neighbourhood services.
In a statement included as part of the report, Cllr Timpe said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for the local community to take control of the services they wish to provide for their residents.
“Led by RDC, the joint working group have been successful in progressing this to an agreed way forward that will ultimately ensure the continuing provision of leisure facilities in Rye for the benefit of residents, schools and visitors alike.”
If approved, the CIO is expected to take on the sports centre in April next year.
